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40 year olds today were the first generation to grow up with computers. 10 years ago, 40 year olds were "old" in computer parlance. The myth of the 20 year old

40 year olds today were the first generation to grow up with computers. 10 years ago, 40 year olds were "old" in computer parlance. The myth of the 20 year old hacker will go away over time, as more and more people grow up immersed in technology (and thus possess the necessary skillset). I would even go so far as to say that our culture's preoccupation with youth presents an opportunity for disruptive ideas/startups, based in "wisdom and experience."

bsenftner 11y ago
Actually, that would be people in their early 50's. Born in '64, started programming in '77.
- mgkimsal 11y ago
  You're not technically wrong, but having access to a computer (let alone a personal/home computer) in 77 was still quite a niche thing for society. I don't think it started becoming a 'thing' until 81-82 at least. Of course, this is my generation, but my own experience is that the numbers bear that out a bit. Having seen schools adopt computer labs in the 80s where they had none in the 70s tells me it was not until that time that more kids were getting access to computers in the first place. But.. by the 90s-2000s, we saw the decline of the 'program something on this' computer style - turning on an Atari, Commodore or Apple II and you immediately were thrown in to "start typing in code" mode. The rise in accessible technologies seemed to turn the next generations largely in to application consumers, not developers. Probably have the same number of hacker/developers in each generation, but because 10x as many people used technology/computers of some sort, the aura of 'new frontier' seemed to go away some. And yeah, some of that may be because I got older, but I think there was something unique about the late 70s and early 80s with respect to computers/tech and how it affected those young generations lucky enough to have access to those machines...
- Toenex 11y ago
  This reads like the start of a geek update to the classic Four Yorkshiremen sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs) "6502?" "Aye" "You were lucky. There were 19 of us all crowded round a single Z80 processor with a hexadecimal display..." ... "Of course when I say keyboard I mean a 8 high voltage bootstrap connectors with rusty razorblades for switches. But it was a keyboard to us..."
- jleader 11y ago
  My father was a mathematician. In graduate school, he didn't do quite as well as expected on his oral exams. As a result, afterward one of his committee members talked to him about possible career alternatives to mathematics. This professor told him "You could go into computing, but you wouldn't really be getting in on the ground floor." This was in the mid-1950s.
GnarfGnarf 11y ago
40 year olds are not the first generation. I'm 66, started writing FORTRAN on a CDC 3100 in 1965. 16K memory (that's 16,384), Punched cards, mag tape. Was a blast.

bsenftner 11y ago

Actually, that would be people in their early 50's. Born in '64, started programming in '77.

mgkimsal 11y ago
You're not technically wrong, but having access to a computer (let alone a personal/home computer) in 77 was still quite a niche thing for society. I don't think it started becoming a 'thing' until 81-82 at least. Of course, this is my generation, but my own experience is that the numbers bear that out a bit. Having seen schools adopt computer labs in the 80s where they had none in the 70s tells me it was not until that time that more kids were getting access to computers in the first place. But.. by the 90s-2000s, we saw the decline of the 'program something on this' computer style - turning on an Atari, Commodore or Apple II and you immediately were thrown in to "start typing in code" mode. The rise in accessible technologies seemed to turn the next generations largely in to application consumers, not developers. Probably have the same number of hacker/developers in each generation, but because 10x as many people used technology/computers of some sort, the aura of 'new frontier' seemed to go away some. And yeah, some of that may be because I got older, but I think there was something unique about the late 70s and early 80s with respect to computers/tech and how it affected those young generations lucky enough to have access to those machines...
Toenex 11y ago
This reads like the start of a geek update to the classic Four Yorkshiremen sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs) "6502?" "Aye" "You were lucky. There were 19 of us all crowded round a single Z80 processor with a hexadecimal display..." ... "Of course when I say keyboard I mean a 8 high voltage bootstrap connectors with rusty razorblades for switches. But it was a keyboard to us..."
jleader 11y ago
My father was a mathematician. In graduate school, he didn't do quite as well as expected on his oral exams. As a result, afterward one of his committee members talked to him about possible career alternatives to mathematics. This professor told him "You could go into computing, but you wouldn't really be getting in on the ground floor." This was in the mid-1950s.

GnarfGnarf 11y ago

40 year olds are not the first generation. I'm 66, started writing FORTRAN on a CDC 3100 in 1965. 16K memory (that's 16,384), Punched cards, mag tape. Was a blast.